Someday
by Sci Fi Faerie
Summary: "I knew we couldn't have a conventional relationship. We'd never get that chance now. But, we had a choice. We couldn't let them take everything. If they did, it wouldn't have been worth all of his effort saving me." After the events of Three of a Kind, Byers and Susanne Modeski go their separate ways-or do they?
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER- I do not own The X Files, The Lone Gunmen, or any of these characters. I just couldn't leave things like this, so I'm taking matters into my own hands and writing _my_ version of what happens between Byers and Susanne after the events of ****_Three of a Kind._** **  
**

 _After putting the girls to bed and showering, Byers pulled a clean t shirt over his newly dried skin. Water droplets dripped from his hair, soaking the neckline, before he rubbed a towel on his head. Susanne was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth._

 _"You forgot something," she called from the door._

 _Byers squeezed his eyes shut. He always forgot to put his old clothes in the hamper. Always. She even moved it into the bathroom, and he still forgot._

 _"Sorry, honey." just as he was about to go back into the bathroom, she came out. Byers's eyes widened. He gaped for a moment, before smiling warmly and blushing._

 _"It's okay," she strode in nonchalantly. His old work shirt was the only piece of clothing covering her body. It was buttoned halfway, so he could see nearly everything, with hidden, enticing places beckoning. Her body wasn't anything new, but even after ten years of marriage and two kids, she could always get to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. His arms encircled her waist, and she walked him backwards towards the bed. As they fell into the clean sheets, her lips met his ear._

 _"Don't get used to this," she whispered. "I_ _ **will**_ _get angry next time."_

Byers awoke alone in his bed. The room was cold, and he could hear the tinny arcade music emanating from Langly's room down the hall. He sighed, covering his face with the pillow and gently beat his head against the mattress.


	2. Chapter 1

**I own nothing (X Files, Lone Gunmen). If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.**

Scully groaned as she heard the doorbell. Turning to the digital clock by the bed, she sobbed dryly at the time staring back in glowing green.

"Mulderrr..."

Though she often disagreed with her partner's definition of "emergency," she always took three-am visits seriously until she heard his side and gently coaxed him to go home and let her sleep. Padding through the apartment, she practiced what she'd likely have to say to calm him down, until she reached the door. Mulder was nowhere in sight. It was a woman. Scully peered through the peephole at the vaguely familiar face. For a moment, she considered phoning Mulder, but, trusting her intuition, decided against it. She didn't feel threatened. The woman looked unsure, as if she were still deciding if her presence there was a good idea. Scully opened the door slightly.

"Yes?" she asked groggily.

"Agent Scully?" The blonde woman peered into Scully's eyes, as if searching for recognition.

"Yes?" Scully repeated. At this, the woman hesitated, before responding.

"This might have been a mistake. I'm sorry." She turned to leave.

"Wait." Scully opened the door slightly wider. The woman turned back to her.

"I remember you. Come in." She held the door open, and Susanne stepped into Scully's apartment.


	3. Chapter 2

**As always, I do not own the X Files or any of these characters. Nothing to see here but an X Files fanatic playing god.**

"What do you remember about me?" asked Susanne, as Scully stepped out of the kitchen with two mugs of tea, placing both on the coffee table. Susanne sat on a chair, so Scully settled onto the couch.

"Not very much. You know the Lone Gunmen. You're a scientist. And...we 'killed' you to save your life," she sighed. Sometimes, Scully couldn't believe her own words.

"Do you know how I met them?"

"Vaguely." At Susanne's hesitation, Scully continued. "You...met them at a convention, and, as Langly put it, 'opened their eyes to _things_.' The 'things' they still, um, _investigate_ now.'" Susanne nodded. "You were taken ten years ago, and didn't see them again until about a year ago."

"That's right." After a brief silence, Scully spoke up.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't understand. Are you in danger? Why are you here?"

Susanne sighed. "I think I need your help."

"Wouldn't you be more comfortable going to _them_ for help?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't. _He_ can't know I'm here."

"What?"

"John." She choked back a sob.

"John...Byers? Why do you have to hide from Byers?"

"You could call it that, I guess," she choked out a sharp laugh, before standing and pacing. "Ten years ago, I was taken, and...they tried to take my life away. John helped me, both times, without question. But, just last year, right after finding each other again, we were torn apart." She stopped, and met her eyes. "I didn't want to lose him again. I wanted to give us a chance."

Scully blinked, then rose an eyebrow, gesturing for her to go on.

"I knew we couldn't have a conventional relationship. We'd never get that chance now. But, we had a choice. We couldn't let them take _everything_. If they did, it wouldn't have been worth all of his effort saving me."

 _"Guys, someone's been here." Langly eyed the area around their headquarters' entrance for other clues, but he could always tell. Frohike could say what he wanted, but Langly had a good eye, which came in useful more often than sometimes for the paranoid trio. Sure enough, the doorknob was in the wrong position. Whoever it was, they weren't being careful. That could only mean one thing. Frohike grabbed the metal pipe by the door, and silently nodded. Byers opened it- only to meet a blonde,, staring at a monitor on the opposite wall. Her back was to them, but, startled, she turned._

 _"Susanne?"_

 _Slowly, she pulled the shades from her face. "John."_

 _"Oh, great." Frohike sighed, stepping past her towards the monitors._

 _"What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Byers walked towards her, reaching out and grasping her arm._

 _"I...I needed to see you," she whispered._

 _"Susanne, you aren't safe here. We need to take you somewhere else," Byers looked wildly around the room, as if to develop a plan to help her dematerialize to a safer location, without using one of the doors. "Maybe if we-"_

 _"John." She reached for his face, holding it with both hands, so that he had to look into her eyes. "Can we talk somewhere first?"_

 _Byers closed his eyes to the contact, reminding himself to breathe. It had been a ten year absence before. Comparatively, a few months wasn't long, but it felt like ten years. Saying goodbye to Susanne was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He didn't know if he had the strength to do it again._

 _"Look buddy, the way I see it, she's here. This may not be ideal, but she's at risk if we leave her out in the cold." Frohike stated, reluctantly. "If anyone saw her come in, they'd have probably been here by now."_

 _"How long have you been here?" Byers breathed._

 _"About an hour."_

 _"Dude, her footprints are gone. It's snowing pretty hard out there." Langly swung past them, immediately sitting at a computer._

 _Byers nodded, eyes immediately opening to lock with hers. He took her hand and led her to his "bedroom," a space converted from what looked like a warehouse office. Blinds covered the windows that made up half of the walls. The room was sparse, with a simple wardrobe, chest of drawers, and a desk. A small, immaculately-made bed sat neatly in the center of the room. After enough all-nighters working on the low-paying job, the three decided to set up camp together at a larger headquarters. Each lacked much of a social life, so when the place didn't feel too cramped, they were grateful for the company. He rolled the door closed behind him, turning to face her._

 _"Susanne," He eyed her intently "What are you doing? We gave you a new identity, but that can only protect you so much. If they find out you're alive-"_

 _"John, I had to see you." She removed her coat, and folded it neatly, setting it on top of the desk. ._

 _Byers sighed. He gestured towards the bed. She sat down at the edge. He took a seat next to her, careful not to touch legs._

 _"How are things going?" She asked gently. He sighed._

 _"Like they always do. We uncover the odd story, but for the most part, our paper is scraping by. Readership is down. Not like it was ever up." He threw his hands in the air halfheartedly, before letting them fall limply between his knees._

 _Susanne turned to him. He was staring down at his hands. She couldn't claim to know John Byers very well, but she liked to think she knew his heart well enough. She was immediately drawn to his earnest attempt at uncovering the truth, and she hated to see time wearing him down. She placed a hand on his._

 _"You do important work, John. It may not always seem that way, but people_ _ **are**_ _listening, if only a few." He was still looking away. "John," she whispered._

 _He looked up to meet her eyes._

 _"Are you unhappy to see me?"_

 _"Of course not." He said gently.. "But I_ _ **am**_ _confused. Susanne, what are you doing here?"_

 _Susanne sighed, and closed her eyes._

 _"In the ten years we were apart, I saw you...everywhere. In my dreams. In everyone I met. I think, in Grant, I saw what I wanted to see."_

 _Byers closed his eyes. Hearing that man's name never got any easier._

 _"When I saw you again," she swallowed, "in Las Vegas, I thought I was dreaming. I promised myself, before, that I'd find you someday. But then, things got in the way." He looked down again. He didn't want to think she almost married that man. "John." She cupped his face. Byers nodded, urging her to go on._

 _"When we parted last time, I tried to stay away. I really did. But I couldn't fight it. I didn't want to lose you again." Her hand fell._

 _"Susanne, what are you saying?"_

 _"I want a life. I want to give this a chance." She reached for his left hand, gliding a thumb over the ring she gave him. Byers blushed. As time wore on, he'd felt increasingly ridiculous for wearing it. He'd catch Frohike and Langley eyeing it and exchanging looks, as if waiting for the opportune time for an intervention. Still, there were some days that he took comfort in sliding the ring onto his finger. It was the seemingly tiny addition to his morning routine that helped him get up to face another day._

 _"It's too dangerous," he said, staring down at their joined hands. The sight of them tugged his heart._

 _"John, I'm in danger every day. Those bastards took my life from me- for so many years. But, if I live like I have been these past few months, they've won."_

 _Her eyes met his again. She could see the struggle on his innocent, chronically honest face. She leaned closer._

 _"Do you want me to go?"_

 _"No."_

 _He frowned, confused. She cupped his face, bringing his lips to hers. His lips responded immediately, but he made no other move to touch her. They spent several minutes like that at the edge of his bed. It was Susanne who took things further, bringing a caressing hand to his chest, sliding her fingers between the buttons, moving her mouth down his neck. She loosened his tie, before pulling it from the collar. Byers closed his eyes, and began to caress the back of her neck and run his fingers through her hair. He breathed rapidly as she lowered him to the bed, finally reaching the last button on his shirt. She pulled his shirt and jacket off simultaneously, only to meet a soft, white t-shirt. Susanne splayed her fingers over the soft cotton, taking in his gentle hum of pleasure._

 _He pulled her down with him, turning his body to the side to reach over and caress her shoulder, and lean down to kiss her. His hands found her buttons. Finally, he began to work on her shirt, kissing from neck to shoulder as her blouse opened._

 _Byers never considered himself very attractive. Susanne was overwhelming in her beauty; enough to help him cast off his previous notions of morality and follow her into the dark web of government conspiracies he still found himself investigating ten years later. She'd probably been with many more-attractive men. This thought followed him as she tugged at the hem of his t shirt. Eventually, he pulled the shirt over his head._

 _Susanne had spent nights wondering what he looked like underneath the suit. As the dreams continued and her desire deepened, she grew to long for his lean frame; to see potential in his soft manliness. Other men disappointed her once their shirts were off. Grant had a thick, overly-hairy chest, and the suggestion of places he'd gain weight as they aged. Byers was smooth and pale, yet subtly muscular, with small tufts of soft hair sprinkling his chest. She felt a twinge in her lower abdomen. She held back the desire to bury her face in his chest, instead pulling him down for another kiss. He felt around the band of her bra for the hook._

 _"It's a," she swallowed," It's a front closure."_

 _"Oh," Byers whispered, shyly looking away. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the sight of the blushing man. He fumbled with the closure for a short time before casting off the lacy, black garment, spreading it away from her chest. Byers heard her ragged breath, and reached for her face, cupping it towards his. He kissed her again eagerly, as she ran her fingers up his bare chest._

 _"Susanne," he gasped, breaking away, closing his eyes to refocus. She brought her lips to his, and they continued their fevered kissing. Susanne began to unfasten his belt, eager to free his erection and Byers caught on, sliding his pants down his legs. They fell on the floor at the foot of the bed. Byers unzipped her skirt, and she pulled it down her hips, subtly kicking it to the floor along with her hose and panties._

 _He rolled on top as her hands caressed down his shoulders to his biceps. He let out a ragged sigh, and let a thumb caress her nipple._

 _Just then, a thought crashed through his consciousness, and he froze. He nearly cried out with frustration, but instead, his shoulders fell and his eyes squeezed shut._

 _"John?" Her tone made him open his eyes to meet her concerned ones._

 _"I'm sorry. Susanne, I don't think we can do this. I don't have any," he looked away. "protection."_

 _She kissed his temple. "It's okay- I'm on the pill, John." He blushed again, and they fell into a series of long, languid kisses._

 _"Are you absolutely sure you want this? We can stop. You don't have to do anyth-"_

 _Se stopped him with a kiss. Slowly, they separated, foreheads resting against each others'. "I want this, John. Please." Byers nodded, bringing a trembling hand down to her folds. His eyes closed and his breath quickened at the moisture he found there. She whimpered. John could hardly believe tonight. Susanne was here, beautiful and brilliant, and she wanted him. He swallowed, before slowly entering her._

 _Both hissed with pleasure._

 _John hadn't made love to a woman since his last serious relationship in college, with Charlotte. It was a two-year romance, ending six months later than it should have. Being young and naive, and seeking his father's approval, he thought that marriage would fix their problems, but, not long after she turned down his proposal in favor of "slowing down," she "met" someone else, a man she'd been secretly dating for the past few months. He ended up relieved that the relationship didn't last, seeing it eventually for what it was; a youthful attempt at fulfilling societal and paternal expectations. After meeting Susanne, he didn't seek out female companionship, holding out for what Frohike called the most unlikely of all hopes. Now, Susanne was here, lying beneath him, gloriously nude, with love in her eyes. He didn't want to disappoint her. Perhaps he'd gone crazy with loneliness, but right now, he didn't care._

 _"John?" his eyes met her concerned gaze. " Are you alright?"_

 _Byers nodded, and, embarrassed, began to move. Susanne stared into John's eyes, filled with love and tinges of anxiety. As she felt him move inside her, she could barely contain herself. He brought a hand down to meet her clitoris, and she sighed into his mouth._

 _Susanne's labored, gasping breaths would do nothing to help him last. Luckily, she seemed as responsive as he was, and within minutes, both fell into a tangle of ecstasy on the twin-sized bed. His eyes squeezed shut as he collapsed onto her on the bed. He quickly rolled off, landing on his back, staring at the ceiling of his makeshift bedroom, smiling slightly, before turning to her. His smile disappeared when he found her staring thoughtfully up at a fixed point on the ceiling._

 _"Susanne?"_

 _"I don't want to lose you, John."_

 _He turned his body towards her, enveloping her in his arms, and pulling her head to rest on his chest. "I'm right here. Let's just enjoy tonight."_

 _She nodded, and he buried his face into her hair._

 _"We'll make this work," he said, both to Susanne and to himself. He pulled the covers over their bodies, and gently kissed the top of her head._

"She left a few hours later," Byers said, running a hand over a keyboard. "After we promised to stay in touch somehow, and meet as often as we could."

"Then, did you see her again?" Mulder asked.

Langly snorted. Byers let himself smile for a moment.

"Yes. As often as we could manage. The next time I saw her wasn't until three weeks later."

 _"Oh, John, I missed you," she said between kisses._

 _"We hadn't heard from you. I was worried!" She rubbed the back of his neck as their kisses became more languid._

 _"Would you two get a_ _ **room**_ _?" Frohike bristled._

 _"Yeah, you're putting me off my burrito," Langly chimed in._

 _The two separated, blushing, and Byers smiled, taking her hand and leading her back to his room._

 _"Byers is going nuts." Langly shook his head, before taking a bite out of his burrito._

 _"Believe me, buddy, there are worse reasons to lose your marbles. And hey, maybe someday, you'll understand. Ah," Frohike sighed dramatically, shaking his head, "virgins."_

 _As he opened the fridge, a balled up foil wrapper hit the back of Frohike's neck. When he turned, Langly was back to eating._

 _"We've been researching one of your stories. We published our findings in the last issue."_

 _"Yes, I know."_

 _"You read it?"_

 _"Of course. The 'In Memoriam' was a nice touch."_

 _"We thought it might be," Byers smiled, but the thought caused the smile to slip from his features._

 _"John." She cupped his face, pulling him in for a kiss. "Stay with me."_

 _He nodded, and enveloped her in his arms. She sighed into his chest._

 _"I've thought about this for so long," she whispered, as her hand rested on his soft, cotton undershirt._

 _"So have I." He nuzzled her hair, inhaling deeply._

 _"I even used to have these dreams. About you. They never went away, not even after I met Grant," she admitted guiltily._

 _"_ _ **He**_ _was the one who used_ _ **you**_ _," Byers said, seeming to read her mind._

 _"I know. But sometimes, I'd wake up the next morning, feeling...like I was sleeping next to the wrong man. To think I almost married him..." she trailed off. "How could I have lived with myself?" He expected this conversation sooner or later, but it wasn't something he looked forward to._

 _"You were in danger. You thought you could trust him." He smoothed back her hair from her forehead._

 _"Of course. I loved him. I did." She sighed. "But still. I didn't feel what I always thought I should feel. Maybe he knew that. Maybe that's why-"_

 _"Susanne." Byers stopped her. "_ _ **He**_ _chose to betray_ _ **you**_ _. If he truly loved you, he would have done everything he could to keep you safe." He squeezed his eyes shut. The words left his mouth before he could think. He felt her stiffen. "I'm sorry." After a long silence, she spoke._

 _"I...it's just hard to remember that sometimes. It's taking some time to wrap my head around it." She shook her head. ""Grant never seemed completely there. I always assumed he was preoccupied with everything. I wonder sometimes, when they got to him. And now, I'll never know." The thought of their lovemaking, deliberate and mechanical, was just one sign, another thing she convinced herself was "just Grant," that came back to haunt her sometimes._

 _"I know. I'm sorry," he said, waiting for her to break away._

 _"He told me he loved me. And I believed him. He was going to watch me die."_

 _Byers's grip tightened. "I couldn't imagine anyone doing that to you."_

 _"You couldn't. I know." she nuzzled him, burrowing her head further between his shoulder and neck. His purity took her off-guard sometimes. When she was a little girl, she read fairy tales about medieval nights and chivalry, thinking she'd find a husband who emulated the honorable men that graced her storybooks. As she aged, like every woman, she learned that real-life knights were nothing like in the faded set of books she kept on her shelf as a child. Knights in real life looked out for themselves. But Byers was different. Staying faithful to her, looking for her and loving her with barely even a kiss to remember her by._

 _Her heart swelled, and she drew him in for a kiss._


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own the X Files or the Gunmen. If I did, they wouldn't have been killed off (shakes fist at sky). This chapter might read rushed, but I guess I wanted to get a move-on. This story has been sitting in my docs for awhile, and it seems better off read than dead for now. Thanks to any readers, and to the single Byers/Modeski solidarity review, thanks, I needed to know I was not the only one!**

"John was the most intuitive lover I'd ever had." Suzanne continued slowly. "He looked into my eyes the whole time; as if he worried I'd...disappear right in front of him. I'd never been with a man who made my needs such a priority." She blushed.

Scully looked away, eyeing the ceiling in a silent plea. She never expected to have a conversation like this about any of the gunmen, especially about Byers. To her, Byers was a little boy in his father's suit. The beard helped, but it didn't help _that_ much.

"We never took our time together for granted. I wanted more. We both did. I went to him whenever I could manage it. Which happened more frequently, until...this happened. I haven't seen him in two months."

 _'Poor Byers,_ ' thought Scully. "He must be worrying himself to death." She mused aloud, immediately regretting it.

Suzanne choked back a sob, cupping her mouth with a hand. Tears sprung from her eyes. Scully's head fell to the back of the couch. The two clearly missed each other.

Wanting to get back on track, Scully asked, "How long had you been seeing each other?"

"I'd visit him as often as we could manage, for about six months. The last time, we decided to go away together for a few days."

 _"We have a reservation under the name 'Funston.'"_

 _"Funston...ah, yes. Here are your room keys. Enjoy your weekend, Mr. and Mrs. Funston."_

 _Byers nearly sighed with pleasure at the phrase. This weekend, he could briefly live out the fantasy of a much more normal life, and for the next few days, he was Susanne's husband. She grabbed his hand, and they walked up the stairs to their room._

 _It wasn't a large city, and they chose it because it was so ordinary. The type of town where no one locked their doors at night, and there were only a handful of restaurants. The small hotel was upscale enough for a couple's getaway from the humdrum of life and kids, but it wasn't very large. It wouldn't need to be. He held her hand as they walked through town._

 _This town prided itself in its charming antique shops and tea houses, declaring itself a popular tourist location, which might be true for tourists from other areas of the midwest. It was the perfect place for them to meet in secret. In another life, they might have settled down here._

 _"I thought it might be a good idea to get out of the New England area for awhile. I stayed a few towns over for a few weeks after Las Vegas. It's nice here."_

 _"It's different," Byers agreed. "I don't get the sense that I'm being watched."_

 _Both smiled._

 _"There's something about the midwest," Susanne continued. "People don't lock their doors at night." Her face darkened. "Of course, maybe the people here are just too trusting."_

 _"We're being careful," he said quietly. "And we came separately. Here, they just see us as a busy married couple trying to get away for a few days." Byers smiled at that thought. The sky was a vibrant blue, with soft clouds moving slowly across his line of vision. Main street was bustling with small-town activity._

 _At dinner that night, he sat across her at the table, listening to stories about childhood chemistry sets and white picket fences, he realized again that Susanne was the woman he was meant to be with. It wasn't just a romantic, forbidden affair, or a boyish desire. Susanne shared his passion for justice, but at the same time, wished for a life she could call her own. She wanted marriage and children, just like he did. They shared that dream, along with their love._

 _It was raining by the time they left, and Byers regretted walking to the restaurant._

 _"I wish I'd known it would rain. I'm freezing," her teeth chattered as Byers held the door to their room. Closing it behind them, he shrugged off his suit jacket, draping it against a chair. Hs tie soon followed._

 _"We need to get you out of those wet clothes," he said, matter-of-factly. Not until a few seconds later did he realize what he'd said. Both smiled and blushed. "I'll draw you a warm bath." he said, excusing himself from the tension in the room. He stepped through the threshold to the bathroom, the door swinging behind him. Byers rolled up his sleeves to the elbows, then kneeled by the bathtub, turning the faucet on to a pleasant warm temperature. While it filled, he set up the space for her._

 _Susanne smiled towards the bathroom. When she heard the faucet running, she began to undress. Just as he was turning off the stream, she appeared in the doorway, unhooking her bra and dropping it on the floor. He turned to her, trying to kept his eyes from lingering on her nakedness._

 _"You're coming in with me, aren't you?" she asked as he stood up to leave. Steam rose from the surface of the water, adding to the already powerful temptation._

 _"It would be more comfortable without me. I can shower when you're done."_

 _She stepped towards him, and his arms immediately encircled her waist. She cupped his face and kissed him gently, before bringing her hands down to the buttons of his shirt. Breaking away from the kiss, she said, "I disagree."_

 _Byers sucked in a breath. They'd made love more than a dozen times by now, but she could still cause the butterflies to flutter in his stomach. When she finished the last button, he dropped the shirt on the floor. His tugged the undershirt over his head, and it followed into the pile. When all of his clothes joined the pile, they stood face-to-face._

 _"I'll...go in first," he said, nodding towards the tub. He stepped into the steaming water, and settled into it, his back plastered against the end. Settling his arms and legs onto the sides, he gestured for her. She followed, and he helped her into the position, her back against his chest, his legs on either side of hers. He wrapped his arms loosely around her, and she craned her neck around for a kiss. She moaned with contentment, and Byers closed his eyes. He provided the best cushioning, and she sighed with anticipation at the gentle pressure of his erection against her lower back. She felt warmed to the bone, and wondered if she could melt into him, right then. That would make the moment perfect. She settled for resting her cheek against his chest, and listening to his heartbeat; such a precious sound to a lover. Her own heart burst with a feeling she could no longer keep to herself.  
_

 _"John?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"I love you," she whispered._

 _His heart rate increased exponentially. She craned her neck as far as she could reach, and he kissed her, dazed. Suddenly, his arms tightened around her waist, before roaming down to briefly caress her body. When his lips found er neck, she sucked in a breath. He continued his ministrations until the water began to cool, and Suzanne turned for a kiss before stepping out of the tub. She wrapped a fluffy white towel around herself. She turned one last time to see Byers following her out with a meaningful look in his eyes as he wrapped a towel around his waist. She shuddered with anticipation. It wasn't a look she was used to, and the towel rubbed against her sensitive skin._

 _With his eyes, he gestured towards the bed. She sat on the edge as he went back into the bathroom and drained the tub. When he came back in, he went straight for her, kneeling on the floor by the side of the bed, gently spreading her legs and pulling them over his shoulders. Her eyes widened at the realization of what he was about to do._

 _"John," she sighed._

 _His eyes flickered with warmth, before turning his attention back to the apex of her thighs. He gently caressed her calves with his thumb as his lips found her inner thigh._

 _"Ahhh..."_

 _With every sound, he became ravenous. Her thighs squeezed either side of his head as his tongue began its onslaught. He'd dreamed this many times. He went on and as she cried out for him, and he didn't stop. He didn't think he could, even if he tried. Her taste was intoxicating. He growled quietly as she moaned his name again and again. And when it was over, Byers lifted his head, meeting her with hooded eyes. His chin glistened. He looked wild. She beckoned for him to join her on the bed and he crawled over her, kissing up her body, before kissing her deeply, letting her taste herself._

 _"Make love to me," she whispered, and within seconds, he entered her. She cried out gently; she still felt sensitive from his previous attentions. He stared into her eyes for a moment, and she shook her head. He didn't hurt her. With that, he began to move rapidly, thrusting harder than usual._

 _"Oh God, John." she whimpered._

 _Neither lasted long. She cried out, and he followed immediately after, collapsing onto her body, his quick, harsh breaths next to her ear._

 _When they were exhausted, Susanne rested against his chest, marveling again at his heartbeat. He kissed the top of her head.  
_

 _"Goodnight, Susanne." he whispered. "I love you."_

 _Soon, the couple drifted off to sleep._

 _Susanne woke up earlier, making her way to the bathroom to freshen up. She found John's shirt in the heap of clothes they left in the bathroom, and wrapped it around herself, buttoning a few buttons in the middle. Susanne smiled at herself in the mirror. She needed to keep one of them When she came back out, and snuggled back into John's embrace, she was surprised to hear that he was awake._

 _"Susanne?"_

 _"Yes?"_

 _"Would you marry me?"_

 _She turned. "Are you-"_

 _"If things were different." Byers added regretfully. "Would you marry me?"_

 _She cupped his face, gently. "Of course I would."_

 _They stayed in bed until late in the afternoon._

 _When Byers returned to headquarters, Langly and Frohike were sitting at computers, already at work. He hung up his coat by the door, then sat down to join them. Neither man met his eyes._

 _"Good weekend, buddy?" Frohike asked._

 _Byers just smiled and began typing, eyes on the monitor of his screen._

"And, then what?"

"And...that was it. I haven't seen her since then. Her phone calls stopped a few months ago."

"Which is where you come in." Langly chimed in.

"You want me to-"

"I want you to do what you can to find her," Byers finished. "I've done everything in my power, and nothing has turned up. If anyone can do it, you can."

Mulder paused. "Byers have you ever even considered that-"

"She wouldn't do that," Byers said, finishing the thought for him. "Not after..." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Not after what we've been through."

"Hey, women can be heartless. And we can't exactly predict _this_ one," Frohike said, trying to be gentle.

"Maybe she ran off," Langley mused, "maybe she worried about getting found out, so she-"

"She got out of dodge," Frohike finished. "Or, maybe, and I _know_ you don't want to hear this, but maybe she was using you. Like the first time-"

"I _don't_ want to hear it!" Byers snapped. "I'm so tired of hearing about that! She _never_ used us!"

"Oh, yeah, leaving us to rot in jail while she went off free, that shows plenty of integrity right there," Frohike snorted.

By this time, Mulder could see they were getting nowhere, and he didn't want to see them come to blows, so he stepped between the two.

"Look, I can attest to the first idea, at least. This isn't the safest place for her to be hiding."

"But she would have told me." Byers insisted, punctuating every word between gritted teeth. "She would have found a way!"

"Byers!" Mulder began, placing his hands on Byers's shoulders, as if to shake him. Unable to control his panic any longer, Byers's exploded.

"What if they found her!?" he shouted.

"Yeah, what if they did?! You want to know, you really want to know?!" Mulder shouted back, gripping his friend's shoulders. Their foreheads almost touched, and both were shaking.

"Yes!"

Mulder and Byers's eyes locked for several seconds, before Mulder took his hands off of Byers's shoulders. The other two men watched the exchange silently.

"Byers, you gotta understand the news might not be good. Are you prepared for that?"

Byers closed his eyes, and nodded.

"Okay then." Mulder backed off. "I'll do what I can."

"So will you help me?"

"I have to be honest, Susanne. I'm not comfortable with this." She sighed. "But, you do need medical attention."

"Thank you. But, not a word about this to John. Or anyone. Okay?"

Scully brought a hand to her forehead. "Look, Susanne. I know this is none of my business, but why are you keeping this from him? I don't know Byers very well, but I do know he's a good man. Doesn't he deserve to know?"

"John _is_ a good man." Susanne whispered thoughtfully.

"...So? What. Are you worried he'll be upset? Or he won't want-"

"If I tell him, he'll drop everything, regardless of what he _wants_ to do," Susanne interrupted. "Don't you see? One of us has to keep fighting. John can't leave the work he's doing. But he would. He'd do the honorable thing. It's who he is."

Scully couldn't argue there.

An hour later, Susanne got up to leave.

"Thank you. And, I appreciate your...discretion. When should I be back?"

"Let's aim for a month. It looks like you're only two months along. If you experience an emergency, contact me right away, that is...if you don't want to go to the hospital." Scully gave her a sideways glance under red bangs.

Susanne pressed her lips together. "I'd better avoid hospitals." Scully sighed. As she reached the door, Scully spoke again.

"And Susanne?"

"Yes?"

"Congratulations."

After Susanne left, Scully collapsed on the bed. She couldn't blame Susanne for her paranoia, and she was glad to help. But she couldn't help but feel some resentment. Whatever was done to Susanne, it hadn't affected her fertility. Not all were so lucky. Not that she desired a child at this point in her life. But this job had taken so much away from her. Her family, her health, her youth. Any possibility of offspring. Sometimes it seemed all she had was Mulder. And judging by their lives, and by Diana, she couldn't say how long that would last either.


End file.
